THE WHO ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR PERFORMING “QUADROPHENIA” PLUS WHO CLASSICS

July 18, 2012

TICKETS ON SALE BEGINNING FRIDAY, JULY 20 GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE JULY 27.

THIS MARKS THE LEGENDARY BAND’S FIRST NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES IN FOUR YEARS.

TICKETS ON SALE BEGINNING FRIDAY, JULY 20

GENERAL PUBLIC ON SALE JULY 27

ONE-NIGHT SCREENING “QUADROPHENIA–CAN YOU SEE THE REAL ME? THE STORY BEHIND THE ALBUM” IN THE U.S. JULY 24 AND CANADA AUGUST 1

THE WHO, one of rock’s legendary and defining bands, have announced a major North American arena tour where they’ll perform their iconic 1973 double album QUADROPHENIA in its entirety, along with a selection of WHO classics. The critically acclaimed QUADROPHENIA marked the British band’s second rock opera (after Tommy), raised the bar for rock albums as an art form and hit #2 on the U.S.Billboard album chart. Founding members ROGER DALTREY and PETE TOWNSHEND will be joined by Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (guitar/backing vocals), Chris Stainton (keyboards), Loren Gold (keyboards/backing vocals) and Frank Simes (musical director, keyboards/backing vocals). **See a Q&A with Pete Townshend near the end of the release.

The upcoming WHO tour will offer a number of exclusive VIP experiences and packages. These offers may include a number of exciting perks: great seats, a special invitation to The Who’s VIP preshow sound check, limited edition autographed memorabilia, preshow parties (including complimentary food & beverage), VIP preferred parking, exclusive VIP merchandise and more.

The AEG-promoted 37-date tour, the band’s first North American tour in four years, kicks off November 1 in Sunrise, FL with an initial six-week run. THE WHO will return in late January with more dates commencing January 28 in Anaheim, CA. Tickets and VIP packages for the tour are now available at www.aeglive.com

In a four-and-a-half star (out of five) review, Rolling Stone’s David Fricke said: “Quadrophenia, released in 1973, was a superior tale with more-taut songwriting; it was grounded in [Pete] Townshend’s memories of growing up angry, anguished and mod in the early Sixties, and produced with the panoramic tension of ‘Who’s Next.’”

The Who is an English rock band formed in 1964. Quadrophenia marked the band’s sixth album. The album’s title is a variation on the popular usage of the medical diagnostic term schizophrenia and exemplifies the four varying personalities of the band members who created the album. IGN placed Quadrophenia at No. 1 on its list of the greatest classic rock albums of all time and Qmagazine placed Quadrophenia on its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever, It features such classic WHO songs as “The Real Me,” “5:15” and “Love Reign o’er Me.”

PETE TOWNSHEND on “Quadrophenia”

Why do you think the music, the themes of “Quadrophenia”–both the album and film adaptation–resonate so strongly today?

In 1972 I was twenty-eight, writing about London and Brighton in 1963 and 1964 when the band was just starting. I was still young enough to remember how it felt to be sixteen or seventeen, and at war with my parents, bosses and authority. I could still remember that feeling of struggling to fit in, something that happened to me when I was even younger, around fourteen, and everyone around me seemed to have got their lives on track. This is such a universal experience for young people that it has echoed.

(It also seems that many of the first fans of the album don’t want to let it go; it connects them now, just as it did the band, with the important emotions and frustrations of growing up, the poignancy of it all. The film took the musical journey into the real world, and gave it flesh. That could have been a problem, but the Mod look is subtle, and cool, and so it doesn’t suffer the way some other youth films have. I’ve come to appreciate that the film has become almost more important than the album in some ways, especially in the visual age we live in.)

–In this singles-driven digital age, there are artists now singing the praises of the album as an art-form and playing their own albums from front-to-back onstage. Since ‘Quadrophenia’ represents the album aesthetic in its highest form, what are your thoughts about the importance of albums these days for artists and audiences?

Mod was over in the South of England by the spring of 1965, and in a sense the band had changed too. We were less pure, less an R&B band and becoming more of a singles-oriented pop band. So there is an irony in the fact that when I decided we needed to reconnect with that vitally important and colourful period of our career, and our lives as young men trying to pursue a dream of becoming famous and respected, I realised I would need a double album. I’m pleased to hear about artists who uphold the album as an art-form.

Album. Art. The questioner’s words here, but I have often been ridiculed for using them about pop music in the past. The digital medium is only just starting to lend itself to long form work. So I expect to see more of it. It was once thought new music fans had a low attention span; but what they reveal is immense commitment to researching what touches them most deeply, and as the internet gets faster they can find what they seek more quickly. Once a connection is made, it can be extremely deep and long-lasting. This is really just another echo: this is how it was back in the ’60s. Singles first, then albums. Maybe the preponderance of singles on the internet has made the album feel special again? Maybe the old way of listening to music – in longer sittings – is finding its way back into vogue? A journey, for example, is an opportunity to listen to something longer, and easy to carry mobile music has made that possible.

–Which are your favorite songs from “Quadrophenia” to perform live and why?

I really love playing all of it. It’s a unique piece for me in that. Some Who music is nightmarish to perform live. Roger has some very tough songs to sing, and he must have preferences. But for me on guitar everything falls under the fingers. It flows naturally, and I always feel proud of my achievement as the writer, that I put it all together and gave the band a third wind. The real high point for me is always the final song ‘Love Reign O’er Me.’ Roger and I now stand almost alone together, representing not only the original band, but also its Mod audience, and of course all our other early fans. We are connected by it, in what is the most clear cut prayer for redemption, and it feels like an acknowledgment that rock music has managed to deal with the highest emotional challenge: spiritual desperation.

–What else can fans expect to hear on the upcoming tour?

We plan to close the show with a few of the really well-known anthems, and maybe some last minute surprises. These will be as much a surprise to me as to our audience because this is an area I tend to leave to Roger; he’s very good at it.

DATE: CITY: VENUE:

Tue 11/1 Sunrise, FL BankAtlantic Center

Sat 11/3 Orlando, FL Amway Center

Mon 11/5 Duluth, GA The Arena at Gwinnett Center

Thu 11/8 Greenville, SC Bi-Lo Center

Fri 11/9 Greensboro, NC Greensboro Coliseum

Sun 11/11 Pittsburgh, PA CONSOL Energy Arena

Tue 11/13 Washington, DC Verizon Center

Wed 11/14 Brooklyn, NY Barclays Center

Fri 11/16 Boston, MA TD Garden

Tue 11/20 Montreal, QC Bell Centre (on sale 7/28)

Wed 11/21 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place

Fri 11/23 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre

Sat 11/24 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena

Tue 11/27 Minneapolis, MN Target Center

Thu 11/29 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena

Fri 11/30 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena

Sun 12/2 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena

Wed 12/5 New York, NY Madison Square Garden

Thu 12/6 Newark, NJ Prudential Center

Sat 12/8 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center

Sun 12/9 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena (on sale 8/3)

Leg #2

Mon 1/28 Anaheim, CA Honda Center

Wed 1/30 Los Angeles, CA STAPLES Center

Fri 2/1 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena

Sat 2/2 Reno, NV Reno Events Center

Tue 2/5 San Diego, CA Valley View Casino Center

Wed 2/6 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena

Fri 2/8 Las Vegas, NV The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

Tue 2/12 Denver, CO Pepsi Center

Thu 2/14 Tulsa, OK BOK Center

Sat 2/16 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Arena

Sun 2/17 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center

Tue 2/19 Hamilton, ON Copps Coliseum

Thu 2/21 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum

Fri 2/22 Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk Hall

Sun 2/24 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena

Tue 2/26 Providence, RI Dunkin’ Donuts Center

#TheWhoTour

Comments

Thank You, Thank You, I am so waitin for this show. Time has really blown by us and your right Pete this is the right time for this album. Go figure , history always repeats itself. Rock on John, Rock on Keith i know you’ll be there.

Hope see you here in Brazil. Could you give us a chance? (To Pete – “where are you from ? – From London. London where ? – London England…”)And to Roger: you “Can see for miles”, but we can’t…. so, come here!!! Big hugs for you.

Today, Oct 17, is my 56th birthday, my loving daughter just gave me the best birthday present I have ever received, tickets to see “The Who” performing Quadrophenia November 1, in Ft. Lauderdale. My favorite group and favorite album of all time. I am the luckiest man alive to have a daughter like her. Thank you sweetheart.

I have always been a huge fan of Quadrophenia and it is my favorite Who album. I saw the Who in Winnipeg in 1967 and again in 1976. Although the 1976 show was fantastic, I was disappointed that nothing from Quadraphenia was on the set. And now in Ottawa on November 20, I finally get to see Quadraphenia live. Looking forward to it! (Though I will miss John and Keith.)

Saw the Quadrophenia Tour in 96 in Vancouver- Superb. I would love to capture it again on Blu Ray. Please bring my dreams come true.
Roger- your Tommy show last year here in Vancouver was fantastic. Keep up the great work.

Looking forward to seeing the Who in D.C. on the 13th . Need some help planning the transportation . We would like to take the Metro in but with the last train heading home at 12:00 midnight not sure if its cutting it too close . If anyone can help by letting me know about what time the boys finish there last song of the night it would help alot .
Thanks for any light you can shine on this .
Enjoy the shows .
LONG LOVE ROCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been a fan of the who since I was born in 1979. I have enjoyed MANY concerts and can’t wait for this one!Im reading Pete’s book right now and feel more connected than ever to Tho Who. Thank you sticking around all these years for generations to enjoy! I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! OXOXOXOX

The Who rocked out in Greensboro, NC on the 9th.
Even after back to back concerts on 2 nights, the Greensboro show was energy filled from Pete and Roger. Of course, as always, their current band was up and fed off of their enthusiasm. Thanks guys for coming back to Greensboro, best wishes on the remainder of tour! Come back if you can!

Even as 60 somethings, Roger and Pete still Rock hard! I’d never seen the Who live, and I sure am glad I got to this time. Zak’s drumming – let’s just say if I closed my eyes, I could almost picture Keith Moon pounding on them! And that video solo of John Entwistle on bass was sick! Great music, very faithful to the album(s), with a few terrific jams tossed in! The voices maybe aging, but these guys can still entertain, and did just that in Minneapolis. Thanks Roger and Pete – you guys are legends!

I went to the Orlando Fl concert. The last time I saw The Who was during the Quadrophenia tour in 1997 in Atlanta. As far as I am concerned, I have attended the two best shows the guys have ever performed!

The Quadrophenia show in Oakland last night was magnificent. A superb production with the video meaningfully enhancing the music. I hope a video of it will be released so I can enjoyed it again and again!